Denver’s presidential debate: Five job-related fact checks

President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney wave at the start of the presidential debate at the University of Denver Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2012, in Denver. (AP Photo/The Denver Post, John Leyba) MAGS OUT; TV OUT; INTERNET OUT

President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney are at odds when it comes to job creation in the United States.

The subject was mentioned often throughout the first presidential debate hosted in Denver on Oct. 3.

Here are five fact checks on job-related mentions during the debate:

Obama: Five million jobs created during the past 30 months

Direct quote:“Over the last 30 months, we’ve seen 5 million jobs in the private sector created.”Fact check: Preliminary estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics have the number of jobs created pinned at 5,083,000, according to factcheck.org, but the official tally remains at about 4.6 million. The New York Times notes that the BLS revision brings employment in August above what it was when Obama took office.

Romney: Energy independence plan would create 4 million jobs

Direct quote:“My plan has five basic parts. One, get us energy independent, North American energy independent. That creates about 4 million jobs.”Fact check: Romney is using a study from Citigroup that estimates, if all energy consumed in the United States comes from North America, 3.6 million new jobs would be added to the U.S. economy. This is part of his energy plan introduced in August, reports The New York Times.

Romney: New business start ups are at a 30-year low

Politifact Rating: True
Direct quote:“And over the last four years, small- business people have decided that America may not be the place to open a new business, because new business startups are down to a 30-year low.”Fact check: Americans created 563,325 businesses with employees in 1977. In 2009, that number was down to 403,765. Politifact, in determining this to be true, quoted an economics professor as saying the rate at which new businesses with employees are started is half what it was 30 years.

Romney: I’ll create 12 million new jobs

Direct quote:“If I’m president I will create — help create 12 million new jobs in this country with rising incomes.”Fact check: Economic forecasting organizations have already projected the economy will add about 11.8 million jobs through 2016, reports The New York Times. Some forecasts predict lower growth, but are based on Congress not making extensions that would halt a “fiscal cliff” at year’s end.